They come from Brown’s studio called The Pairabirds. I believe Brown is based in The Chi…which explains where she probably gets her inspiration from! I have already bookmarked her shop to buy the print above…I’ve got to have it in my home!

In middle & high school, I was a fiend for Bath & Body Works. I’ve always been into discovering new fragrances, but at that time, B&BW was my go to for all things perfumery. My tastes have since matured (although I will still buy my beloved Japanese Cherry Blossom) and expanded, especially since I now have added a great variety of essential oils to my perfume repertoire. That is why I was thrilled to discover For Strange Women – a really cute and Victorian inspired boutique that sells hand crafted and natural fragrances, bath salts, spices, and other dainty materials. The lady behind all this, Jill McKeever, is also an artisan in many other aspects – she creates music, illustrates, and does graphic design.

Besides the fact that everything is natural, I am also loving the visual merchandising of this shop – the photography is so enchanting…

The bottles are so gorgeous…and I really dig that the bath salts are made using salt from the Dead Sea and the Jaded perfume is made using essences of Rose and Jasmine. I also like that the Winter Kitty fragrance is said to invoke memories of felines and snowflakes…Plus all the products are eco-friendly AND aren’t tested on animals. Gotta love it when you can smell gorgeous (cause that’s what I imagine these smell like – not just good, but gorgeous) and help the environment!

This editorial is gorgeous. The styling and photography is quite glamorous and the models are stunning. In fact, one of them looks like a lady from Kanye West’s “Power” video…you can learn more about this editorial here.

I’ve noticed that most of the art I’m drawn to is usually bold, avant garde, or busy in some sort of way. I’ve always found that really funny because my own personal design aesthetic is more simple and minimalist. Regardless, what I do love about art is that you can find a plethora of inspiration and work that suits the many sides of your artistic personality, so when I come across works like these by Valerie Chua, it makes me very happy. Chua’s watercolor paintings appeal to the softer side of myself. They are extraordinarily pretty and have a nice combination of fashion illustration and life drawing.

Valerie Chua is based in Manila (Philippines) and is a self-taught illustrator and painter…which floors me because illustration comes so hard to me. I really admire her work because she wasn’t taught how to do this…rather she wasn’t taught professionally. I suppose through trial and error, she learned how to create her gorgeous works, but regardless, the girl is talented! I love this series that she did of various fashion bloggers and their sense of style. That was neat idea!

Her paintings are just so calming and delicate…yet still really striking. Great, great work!

I LOVE the lighting and choice of location in this set. The men are gorgeous and I just love the story that’s being told…sort of a martial arts/African safari adventure I guess? (Go here to see the rest) I was going over some more of Toll’s work and I think I’m going to be posting some more of her photography because I love pretty much every set she has in her portfolio.

When I did my photoshoot awhile ago, I was all about the wardrobe. I let my photographer handle the locations, but we were stumped as to who we knew that could do the makeup. Luckily we were able to work with an amazing makeup artist that had some great ideas and made me look fantastic…which then led to me deciding that it’s probably a good idea as a fashion/costume designer to learn more about the makeup side of things. In my research, I’ve discovered some great artists that amaze me with their ability to take so many different elements and combine them to create what is essentially great displays of body art. Case in point…the work of Alex Box…

This is amazing isn’t it!? Alex Box caught my eye when I learned that she was the MUA for Gareth Pugh’s A/W 2009 Collection. I knew I had to find out more about this woman. I found out that she is part of the art team that makes up the makeup line known as Illamasqua – a STUNNING label of makeup that has products that span the line from everyday wear to costume. On top of that, Illamasqua holds classes that teach everything from correct eyeshadow application to building your creativity through makeup. WOW! It sucks that the school is in the UK, but there are tutorials online and an online store (which I will definitely be perusing in the near future).

To learn more about Alex Box & Illamasque, check out these articles here & here.

Man…I just love stuff like this – the human mind can come up with some great things 🙂

Aren’t those simply stunning?? These shots are by famed Korean photographer Kim Kyung Soo for Vogue Korea. I’ve always wondered if editions of Vogue in other countries reflects the women in those countries (unlike US Vogue…but I won’t get into that in this post.) and I think I have my answer! I love the colors and beauty of the traditional Korean garments in the images…actually I love everything about these images!

The first musical I’d ever seen was 1978’s The Wiz…I fell in love with theater at that moment and I know it was in part to Lena Horne’s gorgeous portrayal of “The Good Witch of the South”. My parents have always called me their princess and when I saw Lena on screen she looked just like the princess I’d always wanted to be.

Later on, I discovered my insatiable love for Jazz…I found my way through all the greats until I settled on Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane and…Lena Horne as my all time favorites. Not a day goes by when she doesn’t come on at least once in my “Coffehouse” playlist.

So here’s to a woman…an African-American woman who was beautiful and immensly talented. She made strides in music and film and became another eternal symbol of poise and beauty for African-American women (hopefully all women) everywhere. You will be missed Ms. Horne.